Gemotions

Liam stared at the glowing screen. His own DNA results. The test had been a lark, a way to pass the time during a period of professional uncertainty. The results, however, were not a lark. They were devastating. “Unknown Maternal Lineage.” His biological mother, a complete mystery. His biological father, also unknown. A wave of nausea washed over him. He felt the ground tilting beneath his feet, the walls of his apartment closing in.

He called his adoptive mother, his voice cracking. The conversation was strained, an avalanche of half-truths and hesitant admissions. He had always taken everything for granted. He had been sure he was a part of the family. He wanted her to tell him it was all a mistake, to erase the test results.

He found himself back at his childhood home that night. He was in his old room, the walls still adorned with his childhood drawings, the bed still made with the familiar, comforting quilt. He felt the desperate need to cling to these things, to the memories, to the security they represented. He felt as if he was drowning without them.